This course introduces students to the integration of computer-aided design (CAD) tools with traditional analog methods for effectively communicating ideas in three dimensions. Emphasis is placed on developing proficiency in digital modeling, rendering, and technical documentation while examining how digital and physical processes complement each other within the industrial design workflow. Students apply these skills to produce digital and physical artifacts that are functional, visually compelling, and aligned with professional standards.

Design Laboratory I is part one of a studio sequence that provides a forum for discourse and experimentation in design. Critical analysis, contextual relevance and research methodologies are developed and used as a means to define the role of design and the designer in creating consequential solutions for the social, economical and environmental betterment of the global communities. Projects will extend these ideas into the practice of industrial design as a mode of understanding the relationships that exist between the user, the community and the designed artifacts. Opportunities for inter and trans-disciplinary collaborations will broaden the scope of the projects. We will design through a process of iteration and reiteration, empathic exploration, and the development of the physical artifacts. Categories of products may include: consumer goods, equipment, transportation, furniture, or packaging.